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NEW DELHI: In a first, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has sought security cover of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to secure its sprawling campus.

The BHU recently communicated to the Union home ministry seeking deployment of CISF on its campus.

The move was aimed at preventing any Jawaharlal Nehru University or Delhi University type unrest at one of India’s oldest varsities. This is for the first time that any university in India has requested the Centre for deploying a paramilitary on its campus.

CISF Director General OP Singh said the BHU had requested the Home Ministry and the CISF to protect its campus.

“We are still considering the request and the final decision lies with the Government,” Singh said.

CISF officials said a security audit of the campus was underway and once the report is sent to the Ministry, the Government can decide whether CISF will take over the security of the university.

In December, the Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University Girish Chandra Tripathi had in a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requested CISF security cover at the campus, Union Home Ministry sources said.

The CISF is the designated agency for securing vital installations including 59 airports, nuclear facilities and those related to space infrastructure besides VIP security. At present, as many as 900 guards of the private security agencies provide protection to the varsity campus spread over 1,400 acres.

Sources said the BHU move comes as the present security was not sufficient to handle the daily footfall of the students at the campus and a professional agency like the CISF was required to provide the protective cover to the campus.

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